As it turns out, condoms have been around for a very long time. The Egyptians led the way in using linen sheaths as protection as far back as 1,000 BC. Here’s a short history of condoms, or what every SASsy girl affectionately calls the Love Glove, provided by the Condom King.
Condoms use can be traced back several thousand years. Images from about 1000 BC portray the acient Egyptians wearing a linen sheath. It’s up for discussion as to whether they wore it for protection or for ritual reasons.
100 – 200 AD
The earliest evidence of condom use in Europe comes from scenes in cave paintings at Combarelles in France.
In Italy, research by Gabrielle Fallopius found the linen sheath useful for prevention of infection, and later its usefulness for the prevention of pregnancy was recognized.
How did condoms get their name? Some believe it was named for “Dr. Condoms,” who supplied King Charles II of England with animal tissue sheaths. Others believe the name came from a “Dr. Condon” or “ Colonel Cundum.” It likely came from the Latin word “condom,” which means “receptacle.”
Goodyear and Hancock began to mass-produce condoms made out of vulcanized rubber, which is a stronger and more elastic material.
The first advertisement for condoms was published in an American newspaper when The New York Times printed an ad for “Dr. Power’s French Preventatives.”
The first latex condom was produced, although it was to be the 1930s before these were in widespread use.
Social hygienists fought to prohibit the use of condoms by Americans, resulting in U.S troops in World War I having the highest rate of STDs – over 70%. By World War II, a more realistic attitude had emerged and the government aggressively promoted the use of condoms.
The sexual revolution of the ‘60s resulted in a decline in condom use as more and more youth practiced free love – without condom usage.
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was identified, and the Surgeon General stated that other than abstinence, the most effective way to protect against HIV is to use a latex condom each and every time you have sex.
1990s – 2006s
The 1990s saw the introduction of large number of different types of condoms, including colors, ribbed, studded, flavors, baggy – shaped and large, as well as the first polyurethane condom.